Spiritual Soldiers

By Jothany Blackwood
        

One of the realities we all come to is that sometimes we are in the right fight but with the wrong people. We believe we are really at odds with a co-worker, another church member, or even the person we are in a relationship with. But when we come to the realization that it's not the individual we struggle against, but the spirit that is controlling them we can shift our approach.

When we focus on it being the person, then we fight them in the flesh where we can never have victory. Because the enemy is masterful at things of the flesh it's an uneven match. You can't bring a knife to a gunfight and that's what you do when you think you'll give that person back what they are giving to you.

But when you understand that you are dealing with the rulers of darkness that are strategic in their assignments to destroy and kill you, then we have to know what weapons to fight with and protect ourselves. The fact that they rule in darkness indicates that they cannot handle the light. And the light is the Word of God, which is why Psalm 119:105 says "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

When the Scripture acknowledges that there is wickedness in high places that tells you that the enemy does have power. So it would be unwise to believe you can face such a formidable foe on your own strength. Your strength will come from the Word of God and He prepares us strategically for being spiritual soldiers.

God clearly directs us on how to protect ourselves, yet rather than put on the belt of truth, many of us are spiritually sagging. You can't be prepared to defend yourself from the world when everything about you reflects the world. And as we guard our chest, we are really being protective of what is placed in our hearts for there we find the seat of our conduct and character. And character is simply what you will do when you believe no one is watching.

Then He tells us that our feet should be fitted in Christian cleats so we can hold our ground, despite the elements that seek to make us lose our footing. And that shield of defense against the advances of others is surely made from the promises of God.

The enemy is relentless and if he can defeat us on the battlefield of our minds, our flesh will easily follow. But we must be clear that the fight is not physical, it's not against the person in front of us; it's one of spirit and in that we have the confidence that we have already been given victory. But we can delay or forfeit the promised end when we do not rely on God's strength.
We have all been prepared for these ceaseless battles and as spiritual soldiers, we should be tireless in working towards hearing "'Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Scripture Of The Day: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes..." - Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)

In addition to serving as a college dean and motivational speaker, Jothany Blackwood is the founder of MidWife Ministries, which supports ministers and churches in birthing their vision. For more information about Jothany, log onto http://www.jothanyblackwood.org.

Are You Packing Heat?

By Sharon Frame
        

For 10 years now, the U.S. has been at war in Afghanistan. Just about every week it seems young servicemen and women return home severely wounded, mentally scarred, or worse, in body bags. The screaming headlines remind us of the latest NATO airstrike or deadly suicide attack by Al Qaeda forces.

But there’s no word on the Network Evening News about an ongoing invisible war of epic proportion. It’s spiritual warfare that’s been raging since the fall of man. Carnal Christians not sober or on guard won’t likely notice this battle either. It’s a supernatural show-down you can’t see with the naked eyes. But it’s more real than what’s happening on the bloody afghan battlefield.

The day you received Jesus Christ as your Savior, you were drafted into the army of the Lord and got licensed to “pack heat” to destroy the works of the enemy. But remember, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds.” We are called to enforce the victory Christ secured on Calvary. So you wonder why life can be so turbulent at times and why trouble seems to target your home address. Now you know. You are at war!

Ephesians 6:12 reveals details about the enemy: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Satan’s battle plan is to launch attacks against your mind. That’s always been the battlefield. His arsenal is stocked with weapons of mass destruction: doubt, depression, anxiety, fear and self-hate, just to list a few. They are all designed to hold you captive and living a faithless, defeated life. Why is that strategy so important to the enemy? A defeated Christian life flies in the face of God’s will and intention for you, His beloved. If we don’t stand firm as conquerors enforcing Christ’s victory secured through His death and resurrection at Calvary, what good is it?

It’s not enough to wear the “Christian” title. We must equip our minds for battle and dress to fight. The Apostle Paul spells out the rules of engagement in Ephesians 6:

 “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:14-19)

So fellow soldier, as the war rages, are you terrifying the devil? Part of our mission is to frustrate his battle plans. Through fervent and daily prayer, we can disrupt his evil schemes and uncover dangerous booby traps and land mines before they cause harm. We have the power to neutralize the devil. And he knows it.

So begin each day with a war cry! Get dressed every morning clothed in prayer. Don’t accept the enemy’s lies. Instead, declare the truth of God over your family, community and marketplace. Be quick to utilize the weapons of righteousness and faith to crush his cunning tactics.

Spiritual warfare is real. Don’t make the mistake of being on the front lines unarmed, underdressed and foolishly exposed to the enemy’s fiery darts. “Gird up the loins of your mind” and fight the good fight of faith. The enemy may win a few skirmishes, but he will never win the war. Our great Commander- In-Chief saw to that at Calvary.

Scripture Of The Day: "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." - 2 Corinthians 10:4 (ESV)

Sharon Frame is a former CNN anchor, Award-Winning Empowerment Speaker, a Media Coach and “Follow-Through” Expert. Her passion is to encourage and empower! Sharon’s latest book, “Wired to Win” teaches how to Plug In, Power Up and Push Through to Personal Greatness. Visit http://www.sharonframespeaks.com.…

He’s Lying

By Overseer Christopher J. Harris
        

One of the most painful things in life is to be accused of something that you're not guilty of. It can literally be overwhelming and consume your thoughts when someone has shared untruths about you. You feel defenseless against it and all kinds of frustrations, ideas and thoughts fill your mind on how to react, what to say, and if the problem has a solution.

I've learned the hard way that if a person wants to spread lies on you, there is nothing that can over-ride lies but the truth. The truth always prevails. This must be a constant reminder for us when satan attempts to plant certain thoughts and ideas in our mind. Everything that comes from him is a lie that is far from the truth. Quite frankly, if it comes from satan, we must remind ourselves – He’s lying.

Scripture reveals his resumé and his mode of operation. He lied to Adam and Eve. He lied to Jesus Christ. And he is still lying. Because of his inability to speak truth, he hurls accusations at God’s children to get them to doubt and dismiss God’s Word, God’s promises, and God’s principles.

Our enemy’s goal is to get us to focus on our sins and become blinded by God’s forgiveness. His second goal is to tempt us to sin further. He can only do this by his lies. And very similarly, the only defeat to these lies is the truth.

The question becomes, have you equipped yourself with the truths that you need to counteract each lie that you hear, may have believed, or even created patterns around?

Very much like the child who waited for his Daddy after school while being teased by the other children whose parents had already arrived. They would yell insults to get him frustrated.

“Your pops forgot about you!”
“I thought you said your Dad loved you? He’s got you sitting out here by yourself.”

The insults were coming so fast that the young boy started crying. And in a moment of frustration he yelled, “My daddy’s never forgotten before and he can’t start now!” Although he said it out of frustration, he actually spoke a powerful truth. He didn’t realize it, but he spoke to his father’s character and past performance. And quite naturally, he stood on that.

We would be wise to follow this young man’s example. Look to our spiritual Father’s character and past performance. In every area of our life, God’s character is solid and his past performance is glorious.

Deuteronomy 32:4 shares, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Additionally, Numbers 23:19 provides this insight: “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

Both of these passages shed light on God’s ability to be trusted. He can be trusted to tell us the truth, back that truth up with promises, and get all of heaven and earth behind that truth. This good news should be our focus, while simultaneously overriding the lies from our enemy. Truly, I’d rather focus on my Father’s faithfulness, than my enemy’s lies.

Scripture Of The Day: "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down." - Revelations 12:10 (NKJV)

Christopher J. Harris, a native of Palatka, FL, is Chief of Staff/Director of Church Operations of the historic mega-church Fellowship Church of Chicago. He is also Overseer of Youth for Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. Harris currently resides in Chicago with his wife and children. http://www.ChristopherJHarris.com…

Rest and The Word

By Lisa Crum
        

We often feel, especially those of us in ministry, as if it’s ok to be “drunk on the cares of this life” if those cares pertain to the work of the Lord. I challenge you today to re-calibrate your knower and consider a much overlooked weapon of warfare in your arsenal: the combination of rest and meditation on the Word.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah, just having conquered Baal’s prophets on the mountain, was on the run and fearful of the king’s wrath. Even though he had just won the Super Bowl of spiritual showdowns, a fatigued Elijah found himself in a very anti-climactic, vulnerable, “out of character” time. This is the same man we Pentecostals like to preach about with the Hammond B3 growling in the background and hankies waving, only now his behavior is not so shout-worthy. But I ask, how many times have YOU messed up when you were tired and weak? Why, Elijah even prayed for God to just let him die! Ever done THAT?
Elijah lie down and fell asleep, and twice the angel of the Lord woke him up and commanded him to rise and eat, and told him that the journey would be too much for him otherwise. Between intermittent doses of rest and the bread of Heaven, he had strength to go 40 more days and nights on his next leg of the journey. We need to be aware of our surroundings at all times and never rely on yesterday’s experiences to be enough to let us coast through today. If you’ve just made a major conquest in the spirit realm, or you have just gone through an extended period of battle, know that you are vulnerable and that it’s time for you to recharge. Don’t wait until sickness or total exhaustion forces you off your feet, because it will often come at the least opportune time. I exhort you to take some time, guilt-free, to go into a different mode of spiritual warfare. Sleep until your body says “enough,” then wake to fill it with the Word. Rest again, and then feast on the Word again…as many times as is necessary, until you’ve heard from the Lord that He’s ready to move you to the frontline again. Perhaps there's even an angel assigned to wake you up once in a while and urge you to “eat!”

If God provides for you a time to rest and come away long enough to be fresh in battle again, you could be walking in outright rebellion and disobedience if you don’t follow His directions. Remember, the most tragic mistakes in the Bible have occurred in times when godly men—leaders, no less—took on too much, worked too long, got too tired, stretched themselves too thin, or got so caught up in their circumstances that they failed to hear the still small voice of the Lord.

Resist the temptation to burn your rest time during this season in worthless pursuits. TVs, computers and sometimes even books and magazines and one more item on the to-do list can take the place of the sleep we need to fight for. These coming days will be for us, like Elijah, time to rest and eat, rest and eat…drawing our strength from the Word until we can pull ourselves together for a long hike to the mountain! Instead of letting us wander alone in the desert full of fear and feeling whipped, God sends the angels right to where we are, and in mercy and compassion He restoreths our soul. Rest, friends, and eat.

Scripture Of The Day: "And He said to them, [As for you] come away by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while--for many were [continually] coming and going, and they had not even leisure enough to eat." – Mark 6:31 (AMP)

Lisa Crum is an inspirational freelance writer and Christian songwriter. She serves as administrative/pastoral assistant at Regional Church of God in Delbarton, WV. Lisa also ministers weekly as part of the praise team and worship band. For more from Lisa, visit her at http://www.facebook.com/lisa.crum.…

The Greatest Weapon of All

By Shawneda Marks
This week's topic: Spiritual Warfare

There is one weapon many Christians do not consider when thinking about spiritual warfare, and that weapon is love. I’m not talking about the love we have for God because His son died for us; I’m talking about God’s love for us that infuses us with the ability to share it with our spouses, children, co-workers, peers and fellow church members.

A fight for the soul of a nonbeliever happens each time we come in contact with someone who has not confessed Christ as Savior and Lord. It is the light of God’s love shining in a dark area of the battle that leads someone into God’s waiting arms. We are the carriers of that light in every interaction with another person.

When we forgive a family member who consistently makes wrong choices and still offer him or her love as the Lord leads us, we give a glimpse of what God’s love is like. Each day we contend with the enemy of our souls to keep our marriages together. Only God’s love will help us not to act unbecoming towards our spouse or insist on our own way. Love -- God’s love -- flowing through us to those we encounter day in and day out is a steady assault against the wiles and plans of the enemy to keep someone from accepting the love and sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross. Being conduits of God’s love changes the nature of our being from selfish to selfless to the point we are not touchy or resentful because we don’t keep records of suffered wrongs.

The other weapons of our warfare that pull down strongholds are important. Each piece of armory is profitable and useful for the advancement of the kingdom. But it is love that will draw a frightened girl trying to escape from the sex slave trade wondering if she can trust the minister who wants to lead her into a relationship with Christ. Never failing components of love will wear down and conquer the untrusting fears of a person who believes he has been met with prejudice, rejection and betrayal all of his life. It is in accepting and being a carrier of God’s unfailing love that each believer yields our greatest weapon and attains ultimate victory in everyday spiritual warfare.

Scripture Of The Day: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Shawneda Marks, awareness author, penned the award-nominated inspirational HIV awareness novel It’s In My Blood, and the women’s devotional for empowering emotional healing, Diamond Butterfly. Learn more about her passion to empower healthier living at http://www.shawneda.com.

You’ve Got the Power

By Cindy Beall
        

I love the truths found in Isaiah 40. Isaiah tells us that the Lord comes with power and rules with a mighty arm. The Lord has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and has marked off the heavens. He has weighed the mountains on a scale and put the hills on a balance.

No one taught the Lord the right way or enlightened Him. No one taught Him knowledge or showed Him how to understand things. He knows the names of every single star. Yet even with all of that power and knowledge, He gathers lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart.

And that, my friends, is the power of God. That power that you just read about is not only available to you but is living inside you if Jesus owns your heart. He’s there to lead you, comfort you, and empower you to live out your surrendered life in this fallen, broken world that we call our temporal home. See for yourself:
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

So do not fret when the mediocre attacks of Satan come your way. They will. And when they do, when you find yourself fretting and worrying and wondering how to come out on top, stand on the Word of God and proclaim His truth. The Word of God is sharper than any double-edge sword (Heb. 4:12) and will make the enemy flee.

You’ve got the power because the Power lives inside you.
Scripture Of The Day: "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." - 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Cindy Beall is a Christ follower who uses her gift of exhortation by writing and mentoring women. She uses her past experiences, including the near death of her marriage, to encourage people that God truly does redeem. For more information about Cindy, log onto http://www.cindybeall.com

Your War is Spiritual, Not Natural

By Brenda Gittens
        

Have you ever been in a battle so strong, and no matter what it is, what it's about, or who it's with, you know you’re at war but you’re still trying to fight it? Sometimes it takes us a long, long time to realize and accept that we're not wrestling against people made of flesh and blood, but against all of that stuff in Ephesians 6:

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (v. 12)
I don't care how many times we read that verse and how many times we memorize or quote it, until you're in that one battle, the one where you make up your mind to let this Word become reality to you and operate in your life, you will continue to fight — and I mean fight hard — against flesh and blood.

As a soldier and worshiper in the army of the Lord, you have to look at your battles and wars from a spiritual point of view. Of course when you're right in the middle of your blessings, walking in your destiny and the assignment that God has assigned to you, the enemy doesn't like you even the more! So he's going to try to do all that he can to stop you and block you.

The power that the Lord has given us is mightier than the powers of the evil one, satan. And at the time of war and battle is when we are to put it into operation. God has given us a spiritual armor to put on so that we will be able to stand firm against all of the strategies of the devil. That armor includes the belt of truth and the bodysuit of His righteousness. For our shoes we have to put on peace that comes from the Gospel so that we will be prepared. There’s faith that we must wear as a shield to stop the fiery darts the devil aims specifically at us; salvation, which is to be worn as our helmet; and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Because we are in spiritual warfare, we have to continually pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you plan to experience the fulfillment of your promises, walk in your destiny, your healing, your harvest and your season, you have to take authority over the enemy! Don’t wait until all of this comes; do it now! Because when your time (harvest, promises, season, healing, etc.) does come, the war is really going to be on. But you’ll be ready. Be aware, stand against the enemy's tricks, and walk in the power and authority that God has given to you.
Scripture Of The Day: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

Brenda Gittens is a worship evangelist who travels throughout the California Bay Area ministering in song to churches, prisons and various outreach events. Her CD project, “Real Praise/True Worship,” will be released October 2011, and her book, “The Simple Word Devotional” will be released Spring 2012. Visit Brenda at http://www.brendagittensministries.com.

Keep Growing

By Greg Laurie


Every new Christian faces obstacles. And of course, every older Christian faces obstacles as well. These difficulties never go away. There never comes a moment when you reach some spiritual plateau. There is never a time when you don't need to grow in the Lord. In fact, the moment you relax your grip or try to put your Christian experience into cruise control or rest on your laurels, that will be the beginning of your downfall.

The Christian life is one of constant growth, constant learning, and constant transformation. While the conversion process is instantaneous, becoming more like Jesus takes a lifetime. I don't have anything better in which to invest my life than that. Do you?

Yet some people say, "Oh, I tried the whole Christianity thing. It didn't work for me." But my question is did they do their part? There are many things the Bible tells us we should do as a result of truly being converted.

For example, did they begin to study and memorize Scripture? The Bible tells us that we should hide God's word in our hearts (see Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm 119:11; Colossians 3:16). Did they make time to be a regular part of a body of believers by becoming actively and consistently involved in a church? Did they turn from all known sin? Did they get baptized? Did they develop a prayer life? Did they attempt to keep the commandments of God? The Bible says, "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:6).

New Christian or old, the way we face obstacles is to keep moving forward and to keep on growing.


Scripture Of The Day: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15



Greg Laurie serves as the Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. For more about Greg, log onto http://harvest.org

Related articles

• Have You Become A Lazy Christian? (nytegod45.wordpress.com)

The Bottom Line: God Wins

By Alan Riley

When I was a boy, the movie "The Exorcist" first came out. I was a very young believer and was naturally curious about the devil and demonic activity. Plus, all my friends were going to see it. So despite the fact I was too young to be admitted into the theater (the film was rated R), I went to see it. Bad idea. Although by today's standards the movie's special effects are primitive and almost laughable, that movie scared me silly. I didn't sleep with the lights off for weeks!

The truly sad part was that for a period of time after seeing the movie, I gave the devil way too much credit. I worried that he was just waiting for some sin in my life, some rebellion against God, any crack in the dam of my faith and he would charge in and exploit that — maybe even possess me just like he did little Regan in the film. The devil's mission is to steal, kill and destroy, and I let him steal from me my peace, kill my joy, and destroy my effectiveness for Christ for a time.

I'm afraid that many of us do the same thing — we give the devil too much credit. And we're old enough to know better! When Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, the devil's power over you is limited. His schemes are only as effective as you allow them to be.

A gifted Bible teacher once told me he could sum up the book of Revelation in two words: God wins. I like that, because I know that because He lives, I will live; because He reigns, I, too will reign; because He wins, I win.

This week, we've been exploring the subject of Spiritual Warfare in our Daily Devotionals. We've been reminded to walk in our authority as a child of the King, that we are well equipped for the fight, and that the Angels of God get involved with us to take back what the devil has stolen.

Here's the bottom line: God wins. Through Him I can be more than a conqueror. In His strength, I can resist the devil and he will flee from me. And I can rest in the assurance that greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.

Walk in victory in Jesus' name!


Scripture Of The Day: "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 (ESV)





Alan Riley is Vice President for Ministry and Media Development for 316 Networks (http://www.316Networks.com), Streaming Faith’s sister media property. He can be found blogging at http://www.alansblog.com or more often opining in 140 characters or less at http://www.Twitter.com/AlanRile

Spiritual Soldiers

By Jothany Blackwood


One of the realities we all come to is that sometimes we are in the right fight but with the wrong people. We believe we are really at odds with a co-worker, another church member, or even the person we are in a relationship with. But when we come to the realization that it’s not the individual we struggle against, but the spirit that is controlling them we can shift our approach.

When we focus on it being the person, then we fight them in the flesh where we can never have victory. Because the enemy is masterful at things of the flesh it’s an uneven match. You can’t bring a knife to a gunfight and that’s what you do when you think you’ll give that person back what they are giving to you.

But when you understand that you are dealing with the rulers of darkness that are strategic in their assignments to destroy and kill you, then we have to know what weapons to fight with and protect ourselves. The fact that they rule in darkness indicates that they cannot handle the light. And the light is the Word of God, which is why Psalm 119:105 says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

When the Scripture acknowledges that there is wickedness in high places that tells you that the enemy does have power. So it would be unwise to believe you can face such a formidable foe on your own strength. Your strength will come from the Word of God and He prepares us strategically for being spiritual soldiers.

God clearly directs us on how to protect ourselves, yet rather than put on the belt of truth, many of us are spiritually sagging. You can’t be prepared to defend yourself from the world when everything about you reflects the world. And as we guard our chest, we are really being protective of what is placed in our hearts for there we find the seat of our conduct and character. And character is simply what you will do when you believe no one is watching.

Then He tells us that our feet should be fitted in Christian cleats so we can hold our ground, despite the elements that seek to make us lose our footing. And that shield of defense against the advances of others is surely made from the promises of God.

The enemy is relentless and if he can defeat us on the battlefield of our minds, our flesh will easily follow. But we must be clear that the fight is not physical, it’s not against the person in front of us; it’s one of spirit and in that we have the confidence that we have already been given victory. But we can delay or forfeit the promised end when we do not rely on God’s strength.

We have all been prepared for these ceaseless battles and as spiritual soldiers, we should be tireless in working towards hearing “'Well done, good and faithful servant!”


Scripture Of The Day: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes…" - Ephesians 6:11-17



In addition to serving as a college dean and motivational speaker, Jothany Blackwood is the founder of MidWife Ministries, which supports ministers and churches in birthing their vision. For more information about Jothany, log onto http://www.jothanyblackwood.org.